13 Days of Christmas
by Josephine Stone
Summary: There is a Christmas Gift Exchange at Hogwarts, Neville knows who he wishes to be paired with if only he were the rule breaking type. Prompt table from rarepair-shorts (a Livejournal drabble community).
1. Day 1

**Prompt:** Invisible Line  
 **Author's Notes:** I started this last year and am hoping to finish it this year.

* * *

Just like with the Tri-Wizard Cup, the Gift-Exchange Goblet was surrounded by an invisible line to prevent tampering. Neville couldn't think of any reason for it: in what way could anyone tamper with simple pieces of parchment? There was no age restriction and participation was opened to all students. The teachers had their own gift exchange, thank Merlin, if they were pooled together Neville would probably have the luck of drawing a teacher. Or having a teacher drawn for him rather. The cup matched everyone up.

Yet, still—some students were kicked away from the cup with their parchments spit back out at them.

Ginny noticed his confused expression and said, 'They probably charmed their parchments to match with someone specific.'

Neville wasn't creative enough to think of such a thing and certainly wasn't talented enough to even attempt to pull it off. He had never had much desire to break the rules; he only had during the war because it was necessary, but suddenly ignoring the rules, being a little selfish, and trying to get around them appealed to him.

'Are you participating?' he asked Ginny.

'I haven't decided. You?'

Neville shrugged. 'I haven't entered my name yet.'

'So, that's a yes.' Rolling her eyes, she added, 'It's not as romantic as you are probably imagining it to be. You'll probably get a First Year.'

'Yeah . . . who would you choose? I mean, if you could?'

She gave him a contemplative look. 'I don't know. Last year—well, I know who I would have wanted, but now . . . I'm not so sure.' She didn't ask him who he'd pick, but she watched him closely before she continued with accusation in her voice, 'You want to try it?'

'What?'

'You want to try and get passed the charm, so you can pick—'

'No,' he said as quickly as possible, glancing at Pansy then back down to his book and hoping Ginny didn't see his slip.

Ginny still didn't ask him who but was already plotting a way to help him.


	2. Day 2

**Prompt:** The Decline of All Things  
 **Author's Notes:** I went more for the feeling of the prompt on this one, instead of using the actual words.

* * *

The first Christmas after the war was approaching, and Pansy did her best to ignore it. She was alive and still at Hogwarts, but she had trouble being happy about even those things. Hogwarts looked as though a battle had never been fought there and everything went on as it had in their younger years. The castle was decorated beautifully, snow was falling, the food was filled with all her favorite holiday flavours, but it was as though she watched it all through a thick mist.

It wasn't only her.

After so much death, many students had trouble moving on as though Christmas was something to celebrate. Which was why the teachers created the voluntary gift-exchanged. She flicked her wand and burnt the fourth parchment bearing her name.

'I'm not participating.'

Draco rolled his eyes and wrote out her name again. 'You need some holiday cheer.'

'Then buy me something.' When he didn't responded she continued, 'Who ever gets me will probably hex my gift.'

'I'll open them for you.'

'Why don't you just put your own name in there then?'

'I already have, Pansy.'

She tapped her quill against her Potions essay. 'It won't let you put my name in there anyway.' She gestured to the goblet. 'There is a charm around it.'

'You'll put it in there.'

Pansy snorted. 'I will _not_.'

He smirked at her then and after folding the parchment and handing it to her said, 'You will, or I'm giving your journal to Longbottom for some light reading.'

She gasped in outrage and then thought better of it. 'You can't get into my room, you're a boy. You don't have my journal—besides, why would I care if _he_ reads it?'

'Queenie owed me a favour, and—there is no use lying to me, Pansy, I've already read it.'

'Where is it?' she demanded.

Draco put his arm around her and squeezed her shoulder in an attempt to calm her. 'Safe. Go enter your name and I'll give it back.

Weighing her options, she glared at him, and then kicked his ankle as she stood up to throw the parchment into the goblet. Her journal lay on top of her essay when she got back to sit next to him. She saw him smiling out of the corner of her eye but refused to look at him.

She'd better not get a cursed packaged out of this.


	3. Day 3

**Prompt:** What's His/Her Name?

* * *

Though Neville knew eventually Ginny would have to ask who he wanted to be matched with, he hadn't believed that Ginny would find a way to get passed the line; therefore, he never thought this conversation would happen in reality.

'Don't make me guess,' she said.

Neville bit his lip; she was going to laugh at him.

'Do you even know if she has put her name _in_ the drawing? It's not going to work without it.'

He nodded. 'Yes, I saw her put it in yesterday.'

'Good, now: spill.'

The drawing was in two days. Friday morning everyone who entered would get a name at breakfast, so even those who were leaving in the afternoon could participate by owl. Neville was staying during Christmas break for the first time ever. He told his grandmother it was to study, but really it was because he'd overheard that _she_ would be staying.

'Pansy Parkinson.'


	4. Day 4

**Prompt:** A City Upon a Hill

* * *

Pansy glared at Draco as he approached her in the Slytherin common room.

'I come bearing gifts,' he said as he held up a package that based on its shape was most likely filled with chocolate.'

'If it didn't come from Andover's. . .'

Draco rolled his eyes and flipped the box up to show her the picture on top: a hill surrounded by mountains with a city on top. 'Give me _some_ credit,' he said, then sat next to her on the lounge.

'This _doesn't_ count as my Christmas present,' she said as she accepted the package.

'Of course not,' he agreed, and then, after she was happily eating a chocolate, he continued, 'You'll be thanking me later anyway.'

'How can you be so sure?'

'Because blokes are much easier than birds.'

Pansy glared at him again, and he laughed at her.

'Okay, alright—because we're talking about _Longbottom_ here. You are the prettiest girl in Slytherin, and he'd be a fool if he shot you down. He's never even had a girlfriend, and . . . it's Longbottom.'

'Shut up,' she said, but she couldn't stop the smile.


	5. Day 5

**Prompt:** Meanwhile

* * *

It was the day of the drawing. Everyone was there whether they put their names in or not, although, Neville was pretty sure most everyone had. Neville was with Luna and Ginny in the Great Hall waiting for Dumbledore to cast the spell. The flame changed to a dark green once he did and then hundreds of folded pieces of paper flew out of the goblet and around the room. People cheered as their names floated into their outstretched hands.

Neville caught his but hesitated upon opening it.

'Come on, Neville,' Ginny said, 'stalling won't change the name.'

Opening it, Neville read Pansy Parkinson.

'How?'

'I have no idea what you're talking about.'

Meanwhile, across the hall, Pansy slapped Draco across the face before stomping out of the room.

Neville gulped and Ginny laughed.

'I'm sure it has nothing to do with you, Neville,' Luna said. 'What are you going to get her?'

Neville gulped, again. He hadn't thought that far ahead.


	6. Day 6

**Prompt:** and now for something completely different

* * *

Pansy knocked on Draco's door, but he didn't answer. 'Draco,' she whined, but he still didn't answer. 'Come on, I'm sorry!'

She didn't say she was just playing around because she had been angry, but he clearly tampered with the drawing somehow. Still she shouldn't have hit him and she knew that. Her mother came out in her at the worst times, really.

It had only happened once before—her hitting Draco—but he didn't talk to her for weeks after it. She couldn't wait for weeks. Pansy needed her best friend to get through this Christmas, except she was not used to being the one making up to one of her friends. Presents wouldn't work on Draco. He never really enjoyed material objects as tokens of affection and he hated chocolate.

This called for drastic measures.

Pansy didn't have enough time to discreetly figure out who all got who to find out who had drew Potter's name. She had to go to the source; there was no other way.

It took her an hour before she found Potter in the Library with Granger and Weasley.

They all stared at her as she sat down in the vacant seat to Potter's left. Ignoring their shocked faces she took Potter's quill out of his hand and wrote across the top of his parchment.

 _Who'd you get in the drawing?_

Rolling his eyes, Potter took back his quill and wrote: Katie Bell

 _Fancy asking her if she'd mind switching you with Anthony Goldstein?_

'Why?' Potter said aloud and Granger glared at them both.

Suddenly a voice whispered just above Pansy's head, 'I don't see how that would work.'

Looking up she saw that girl-Weasley, Lovegood, and Neville had come to join their friends in the library. Just Pansy's luck.

'You should have fixed it before hand,' girl-Weasley continued. 'Besides, he'd know, wouldn't he? He already knows he drew Anthony Goldstein.'

Potter spoke again, thankfully in a whisper that time, 'Once again, why?'

'She probably wants you to trade gifts with Malfoy,' girl-Weasley answered.

'What?' Potter forgot to whisper again and stared at Pansy, who reluctantly nodded.

Pansy sighed and then quickly whispered, 'Look, I've made a mistake and need to make it up to him, he's horribly picky, and it was the only thing I could think of that might get him to talk to me before next spring comes around.'

'What are you fighting about?' Oh alright, Ginny said.

'What does it matter?'

'Tell me and I think I might have an idea that could help you.'


	7. Day 7

**Prompt:** quoth the raven

* * *

Sighing Pansy said, 'I accused him of doing something he didn't do; at least, I don't think he did, and I lost my temper.'

Pansy hadn't glanced at Neville since they entered the library and Neville wondered if she even knew he was standing there. Ginny looked at Neville and shrugged. Whatever Pansy was angry about earlier it hadn't been getting Neville in the gift exchange.

'Shh!' Madam Pince was there glaring at them, and Ginny tugged on both Harry and Pansy to get them out into the corridor. Neville and Luna followed, because they always followed Ginny, while Hermione and Ron went back to their books. Neville glanced back to see that Ron stared after the group obviously wanting to follow them, too.

'So, what is your idea,' Harry asked Ginny before Pansy could.

'You should send him something, but not for the exchange from _you_.'

'Or a secret admirer,' Luna offered the idea.

Pansy's eyes lit up. 'Quoth the raven, yes!'

Ginny nodded enthusiastically, 'That's an even better idea, Harry! Keep him guessing for a while and then surprise him with it being you on Christmas!'

'Wait,' Harry said, stopping everyone's excitement. 'Why would I do this?'

Neville smiled and said, 'Because you want to.' Before Harry could start denying it, Neville added, 'He's all you talk about anymore.'

'That's because he's up to something,' Harry said in a hushed tone, and then to Pansy he asked, 'Why would you want me to send him something anyway?'

Pansy snorted. 'Because you're all he ever talks about, too.'

She looked toward Neville and their eyes met, making his stomach flip. She certainly noticed him then.


	8. Day 8

**Prompt:** Swirling to nowhere

* * *

The very next morning, Draco ambushed Pansy in the common room. He hadn't even opened the box yet, needing her to be there with him.

She smirked as she sat next to him on the couch. 'It's just a gift, Draco, calm down.'

'What if it's cursed?'

'Is that really what you're worried about?' Pansy quirked an eyebrow at him and then asked, 'Who is it from?'

'I don't know,' he whispered and then showed where Potter had signed secret admirer.

She was getting restless so she took the box and opened it herself. Draco didn't stop her and seemed relieved that she took charge. He'd probably do the same for her on Christmas when she had to open the gift from Neville.

'It's Snitch,' Pansy said, confused. She realised that Potter couldn't really leave the school that day to get something, but one could usually owl order something in the afternoon and get it by the next morning. Especially if it was from Hogsmeade.

Draco took it from her as his ears turned a bit red. 'Do you suppose they're a Seeker?'

'Y _ou're_ a Seeker,' Pansy said with a laugh.

Draco looked pensive and then glanced back at Pansy with a frown.

'I'm sorry about the other day,' she said. 'I won't do it again. I wasn't thinking.' Draco hummed and then Pansy continued, 'I could really use your help picking out a gift for Neville.'

After a beat, Draco said, 'Well, clearly the place to start is a greenhouse.'

Later as Pansy followed Draco out to speak with Madam Sprout, it was lightly snowing. The snow swirled around them and then off to nowhere. It was very much like how her heart felt at the moment.


End file.
